Li Wei did not waste a second longer deliberating his next course of action, it was imperative that his allies were given time to regroup and reinforce their territories. The young master had heard from local townsfolk nearby that the local authorities had begun imposing the will of their emperor.
Although the imperial court would not admit it, there was a growing concern that these pockets of unrest would eventually flare into a civil war. Thus under the order of the emperor, his magistrates fortified the barracks in every province from the Qianlong Province all the way to the imperial capital.
Enlistment into the imperial army became mandatory for any man over the age of 16 and under the age of 30. This horrified many commoners that were raising a child, who would likely inherit their parent's legacy after they passed on. However, there was no room for negotiation and batches of young and prospective men were transported to royal outposts to begin training.
